Vic mine operator not prepared for fire

THE operator of a Victorian coal mine that burned for 45 days after being sparked by spotting from bushfires was not prepared for the blaze.

AAPSeptember 3, 20145:07am

A FIRE in a Victorian coal mine that burned for 45 days was foreseeable but the mine operator was not prepared for the blaze, an inquiry has found.

HAZELWOOD mine operator GDF Suez fell short of its obligations to neighbouring communities by not properly identifying the hazards of a fire starting in the worked-out areas of the coalmine, an inquiry into the blaze found.